Third time is, as the saying goes, the charm. As we begin packing our work gear and mapping out our logistics for an upcoming working getaway in December at Rusticana in Brandvlei, there is an unmistakable mix …
If you know anything about South Africa’s climate, you probably already know that the Northern Cape is an absolute powerhouse when it comes to sunshine. It’s big, it’s dry, and it gets drenched in sunlight practically every …
After weeks of sitting, soul-searching, and technically trying to fathom how we are going to restore this old lady and bring her back to life, we’ve come to a crossroads. It has not been easy, to say …
The transition from the shadow of Table Mountain to the sun-drenched plains of the Northern Cape is not merely a change in geography; it is a shift in the very soul of a traveller. For some, a …
There is a specific kind of silence that settles over the Karoo, a stillness that carries both the weight of history and the promise of what is yet to come. For over a year, that silence was …
There are moments in a long-term restoration project where the house itself seems to resist progress, and then there are moments where the world at large simply closes the road. As April 1st approached, we desperately wished …
The road to Brandvlei is often a journey of restoration, but this year, it feels more like a journey of recovery. After a significant setback during our planned Christmas expedition in 2025, the detour was a tough …
Protecting our premises at Rusticana is paramount, and it is a task we take with utmost seriousness. It’s a responsibility that feels particularly poignant, given that the initiative to install a hi-tech CCTV security system was a …
As we cross the threshold into a new year, there is a natural inclination toward reflection and recalibration. The conclusion of 2025 was, in a word, bittersweet. We faced the formidable challenge of the Vanrhyns Pass—a geographical …
The pre-dawn air in Cape Town has a specific stillness to it—a quiet expectancy that usually signals the start of a grand adventure. At 4:30 AM on a Saturday, the city was a silhouette in the rear-view …